Living In Shadow
by Dr Gonzo
Summary: A Ruthless vigilante is loose in Smallville meanwhile Pete struggles with a family crisis
1. Part One

**__**

Living in Shadows - A Smallvile Fic 

Summery- Pete's cousin takes shelter with the Family during a rough time. Made rougher by a Problem that only Clark can help with. 

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Marcus and I probably stole him from somewhere too

Distribution: If you post it give the address. If you like it give me encouragement and if you hate it, give me a critique. 

Dedication: To GothGirl and the Gang at Shrine of Heroes 

A dark night and a darker street, a man fled down that street its only light came from the bright moon, the hunter's moon. The man fleeing down that street was a predator. He had stalked the streets looking for victims for three nights now. But this night was different. This night, he was the hunted. 

Out of breath he stopped. It had been six blocks. Surely, he had lost the hunter tracking him. he looked around and relaxed. 

He heard something and spun around a quick and fleeting movement in the shadows. Had he imagined it? Of course, he had. Nothing could move that fast. Still he should keep moving, get home. He turned to start moving and saw him. Tall standing in the street, it looked like a man. The dark man extended his arm. The thug felt like he had been slammed hard. Something had thrown him backward to the ground. 

"What do you want?" His faked bravado made no impact on the man. 

"Walk me through the logic little man. A defenseless student taking a short cut through the trash heap you call your turf, and they get a beating cause they don't give you respect."

The man backed away from the advancing figure. "You'd better back the hell off man or I'll jack you up something harsh."

"You're threatening me. You either have big balls or no brains." The dark man hissed 

"Screw you." The thug screamed and drew a knife. The blade flashed through the air and the figure jerked and shifted only an inch in any direction but the knife never came close. Finally, the thug plunged the blade downwards. His hand was snagged by the dark man, in a strong vice like grip that froze him to his core. 

"Well I guess we know the answers now. You got no brains." He kicked the thug in between the legs. "And no balls." The thug grunted and dropped to his knees. He thrust the knife at the dark man and paled when the blade passed harmlessly though his torso. The dark man gathered the thug up and held him a foot off the ground. 

"Don't kill me, I'm sorry I swear I'm sorry. I'll do anything you want. Just let me live."

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to educate you, school you. Lesson one, the shadows are alive." The dark man threw the thug against a wall. "Lesson two, the shadows are pissed." The thug felt cold racing up his legs he looked down in fear as blackness reached relentlessly up his legs. "Lesson three, the shadows are hungry." The thug grabbed for the dark man but he was impossible to grab and his last sight before plunging into the dark was cold pale eyes looking down at him. "Thus ends the lesson."

****


	2. Part Two

***

Clark remembered thinking afterwards that Pete being late on a Tuesday was a bad sign. 

The Cheerleaders practiced on Tuesday morning and for all the time they had been students at Smallville high and even before Clark remembered Pete insisting that they spend part of the morning drooling over the young girls doing their cheers. Clark had of course had not problem with this plan since it involved an opportunity to gaze at Lana Lang. However, with Lana no longer on the team his interest in cheerleaders had waned. Pete on the other hand was still the biggest fan of the cheerleaders and since he was occasionally an alternate on the Football team, he still had to put in face time to keep the girls interested. 

Thus, Pete being late this Tuesday was an important portent of things to come. Clark perched on the steps leading to the school and watched his arriving classmates until he saw familiar faces swimming through the crowd. Lana and Chloe arriving together; as was their habit since starting to live together. 

Clark felt the image swimming to mind of Chloe and Lana doing intimate girly-type things together. Then he pushed the thought aside and back to the dark place in his mind it came from. Such thoughts had plagued him a lot since the two young women had started drawing closer as friends. Neither seemed the slightest like the type to be lesbian but he was a guy and Chloe and Lana were extremely pretty and they both had reason not to be fond of men anymore. He tried not to think about the fact that he was one of the reasons they might turn off guys completely.

"Guys, either of you knows were Pete is. He was nowhere to be found this morning." Clark asked. 

Lana smiled. "No Pete, You can almost set a clock on Pete Ross and his Cheerleader fetish. "

Chloe giggled. "Pete shows up to practice more faithfully then some of the girls on the team. "

"Well he didn't today. In fact there was no answer at his house when I called this morning." 

"Whoa, Clark, a little early to be calling out the dogs. He could be doing something for his mom or his dad." 

"Well Principal Reynolds is still laying down the law." 

"As near as I can tell the only person Reynolds has his eye on is you Clark." 

The girls pulled at him and Clark eventually abandoned his vigil at the door. The trio walked through the crowded halls. They pushed past a group of students standing watching workman install a electronic bulletin board welding it to a set of ceiling struts. It took a while but Clark eventually noticed that they were headed for the main office. 

"Do we have to go there." 

"Relax Kent you overdue for an Asskick or something." Chloe poked at him snidely 

Asskick?" Clark asked curiously 

"I head a couple of the guys in the Computer Labs saying Reynolds nickname is Principal Asskick." 

The Clark pushed open the door to the office and saw Pete standing at he main desk. "Pete how are you doing I missed you this morning."

"Had to skip practice it was a late night and I had to get Marcus registered." Pete smiled at the two girls and snatched a folder full of papers off the desk. "Guys I want you to meet my cousin from Gotham City. Marcus these are Chloe Sullivan, Lana Lang and Clark Kent." 

He gestured to a tall black boy lounging low in a chair. He was tall and solidly built. He was wearing a Grey shirt over black pants. Two-tone shoes completed the causal style. He smiled thinly and held out his hand to all three.

"Welcome to Smallville" Lana began. "If you're looking for a place to hangout after school you can always try the Talon, a local coffee…"

"No worries Lana I already sold him on hanging there. In fact we were going to come over tonight."

Chloe smiled. "I run the school newspaper." 

"Yeah, Pete was telling me about this huge collection that you have of all the strange stuff that goes on here."

The Wall of Weird, it only looks like the work of an obsessive mind."

"Hey that's the best kind." 

Clark stuck out his hand and Marcus shook it enthusiastically. "You're the reason I can't get this guy to blow this hick town for some real action."

Chloe went into reporter mode. "So, Marcus what brings you to our lovely little hick town."

"Pete has been raving about the women, the farms, women, the good times, and the women. Frankly I don't see it myself."

"Touché," 

"How about it Clark any truth to all the stories Pete has been telling me."

Clark smiled and glanced from Lana to Chloe. "In the interests of keeping my head on my shoulders I refuse to comment."

"Spoken like a true coward." Pete snickered. The five students walked through the halls. 

"So Marcus are you going to be with us long," 

"We'd have to see." 

"Marcus is an awesome ball player, he totally rules the court when he plays."

"Great someone else for you to lose to for a change."

"I know I didn't just hear that Kent."

"Please cousin, I was tar and feathering your ass the last time we played." 

The four reached the hall where the workmen were trying to maneuver the sign into place when there was a spark and an explosion. The worker in the ladder begin to spasm as volts of electricity flowed through him. the sign pulled loose and began to swing dangerously. Clark glanced around and prayed no one would notice him. He dashed to the ladder and kicking it out of the way. The worker on it fell into his arms to be lowered gently to the ground. He then turned to deal with the sign to find it swinging toward a co-ed standing frozen in the middle of the hallway. Clark reached out to snag the sign but it slipped out of his grasp. He watched as the girl suddenly dropped through the floor. The sign bashed into the locker she had been standing in front of second before. He then grabbed at the sign again stopping its precarious swings. He ripped at it pulling it down and laying it flat on the ground. 

He turned to look at his friends. They and everyone else was standing motionless, staring vacantly into space. Even as he began to wonder at that the spell was broken and everyone began milling around in confusion. "Clark did you see that," Chloe walked to the damaged sign. "The whole thing just collapsed and took out one of the lockers. Danm good thing there was no one hurt."

Well no one except for the worker, you mean. 

Huh?

Clark looked around and saw the worker he had pulled to safety was gone. 

Great two people vanish during a serious accident. Definite Wall of Weird material."

Marcus tapped Clark on the shoulder. Is this normal for first day. Cause I could have settled for the traditional pantsing."

"You should have been here for our other semi traditional around here, the scarecrow."

"Pete, let it go. It was a prank, Clark was the odd man out." Lana said sharply. 

"He stripped Clark half-naked and tied him to a pole in a cornfield. You don't forget things like that easily."

Yeah Pete, especially with my best friends reminding me. Just when the humiliating memory had begun to fade." 

Tied in a cornfield half-naked, I have to reassess my opinion of what a snooze this place was likely to be." Marcus muttered 

"Relax Principal Reynolds has promised suspension and expulsion to the team member caught doing things like that in future." Chloe patted Marcus on the back 

"Yeah, and we all know that beating up students for being different doesn't happen in these enlightened times." Marcus sneered ruefully. He turned and headed down the hall the girls following him. 

Pete pulled Clark aside. "Awesome rescue, Clark, Where is the girl and workman did you take them to the hospital?"

"No I didn't. I grabbed the sign and lowered it to the ground but when I turned to help the girl and the workman they were gone. "

"That's weird "

"And another thing why were you all standing around when I was doing my thing. And why did everyone act like they had just woken up or something."

"I don't know what your talking about Clark one second we were watching the sign give way and the next the sign was on the ground and you were standing near it." 

"So something happened, some force clouded your minds and made you not see what was happening."

"Do you think its some new ability you have." 

"I don't know it would make my life easier if I could make people forget that they saw me doing things but…"

"But what "

"I can't help but think that there is another explanation. That someone else was there and they didn't want anyone to see what they were doing." 

"If that's the case then you have to wonder, did whoever it was see you and if they did what will they do about it now that they know you have abilities too."

***


	3. Part Three

***

The Talon was many things and tonight is was the place to be. Lana used the recent good news about the Cheer Squad's impressive performance into the state finales as an excuse to make the place party central. Marcus had changed clothes that afternoon to less gothic like colours mostly to make Pete happy who did not want his cousin hooking up with the Goth contingent of Smallville, All one of the them. 

Chloe and Clark arrived together. He had been pumping her for information about the post accident report that the police were fashioning. The eyewitness stories at the school were less then useless all saying the same thing Pete had mentioned. Everyone in the hallway that morning who could have seen what happened experienced a feeling of lost time, a clouding of the mind that blinded them to everything that was occurring in front of them. 

The worker and girl who had disappeared from the hall had turned up later in the waiting room of Metropolis General Hospital. The idea that both could have made that journey in what seemed like the blink of an eye made the incident even more mystifying. 

Chloe immediately went to the wall of weird checking for signs of teleporters or those who could move at high speeds. (Clark found it uncomfortable that the results of his exploits were being documented not ignored or dismissed.) They found nothing. Chloe wouldn't give up yet though. She was sure some meteor rock mutant was at the bottom of this latest mystery. 

Clark couldn't disregard the fact that the once before one of the mutants had discovered his own secrets and more importantly his weakness to the energy from the Meteor Rocks. Such knowledge if it was out there once more was dangerous not just to Clark but those close to him. 

The two made the rounds of the room with Clark waving to all the members of The Swim Team who had chosen to attend. He saw Lana though the crowd dancing to some acid Jazz CD Lana had discovered on a trip to visit Nell and her new Husband. He slipped though a sea of bodies to stand at her side. 

"How's it going the place is packed tonight." 

"Yeah, Lex won't be able to complain about me only breaking even more things are really humming."

"I think Pete will really owe you one for throwing this together. 

"Where is he?" 

Clark looked around. Then, realizing he could see nothing through the mass of people. Used his X-ray vision to literally peel back the layers of people until he saw Pete and his cousin talking to a sandy haired boy dressed in jeans, T-shirt and dark coloured tennis shoes. "They're talking to Adrian." 

"Who's talking to Adrian." Asked Chloe as she walked up to them. 

"Pete and Marcus are …over there somewhere I think I saw them standing with Adrian." 

"Really that's gotta be the mother of all uncomfortable conversations." Chloe sneered Adrian was well known as a painfully shy person who spoke rarely and the then only in the lowest of tones. The only time he came to life was when he found a cause the stirred his apparently passionate soul. Like during a debate about Metropolis Police raid on female only bathhouse. 

The officers, all men and all veterans, had claimed that there was illegal booze & drugs being sold on the property. Adrian, and later Chloe, had argued in The Smallville Ledger; that such a raid even if it were needed could have been preformed by similarly trained female officers. Chole's support stemmed from her liberal bias but at the time she had felt that Adrian had taken the case very personally. 

The three of them headed though the crowd. Clark would expand small amounts of his super strength to clear their path until they arrived to see Adrian talking and waving his hands for emphasis. 

"…Are you joking that was one of the most important legal judgements in history." He was saying.

"I was there and it wasn't about making history." Marcus said Pete was looking at Adrian with barely restrained annoyance. "I think in the end everyone started loving the media attention too much." 

"What's this all about?" Clark asked 

"Its nothing big." Pete said quickly. 

Adrian shook his head and smiled. "Marcus used to go to Gotham Central Tech. He was there during the Pansy Prom scandal."

Chloe gasped. "I read about that during my internship at the Planet. Two guys wanted to go to their spring Prom together. There was huge drama over it. PTA groups got involved and it even got as far as being taken to Civil Court. Where you really there Marcus?" 

"I knew some of the kids involved in the case against the school. But I wasn't part of the group that sued."

"Man, the stories that you must have." Adrian smiled proudly. "This was like the second Stonewall. I heard some students threatened not to attend if the guys were allowed to go." 

Marcus was looking uncomfortable. "That was really their parents forcing them to sign that statement of protest."

"I heard some of them signed willingly."

"Some were on side with the guys and some weren't. It was like any big conflict. And some people did and said things they are still sorry for."

Lana piped up "Marcus I got some snacks my supplier claims are all the rage in Gotham maybe you can look them over." 

Marcus looked at the group and went after her as she headed for the counter. Adrian looked confused and Pete rounded on him quickly "Look Adrian, Marcus is trying to make a fresh start away from all the nonsense that went down in Gotham City. I'd take it as a real personal favour if you would give him the time he needs if you get my drift."

Adrian stepped back as if Pete had slapped him. Then he nodded and mumbled "Sure whatever, sorry if I caused problems." 

They watched him shuffle off into the crowd. Clark rounded on Pete. "That was harsh." 

Pete was defiant "this is family Clark. if someone was bothering your mom and dad they'd be mulch." 

Chloe grabbed Pete's arm. "Come on family man. This girl needs some dance floor time."

Clark headed for the counter to see Lana alone he looked at her searchingly and she glanced over at the bathrooms. 

Clark headed for the back of the Talon and pushed through the doorway. Inside the bathroom, Clark saw Marcus leaning against the counter staring hard at the reflection in the mirror. 

"You know he's not going to blink before you do." Marcus startled and then looked again at his reflection 

"You would be surprised at how fast that guy folds under pressure. I'm sorry Clark if I caused any friction." 

"No harm done. Pete kinda tore a strip off Adrian but, he's a big boy I'm sure he can deal." 

"I'll apologize to him in the morning. It not his fault I was in the wrong school at the wrong time."

"Sounds like what was needed at your school were guys who have it together. I haven't known you long but you strike me as someone who has their shit together." At this, Clark put his hand on Marcus's shoulder. The youth jumped and then stared at the hand for moment as though it were a foreign thing. Clark withdrew his hand immediately. 

Marcus looked at Clark a moment then smiled "I'm sorry Clark. I'm having personal space issues these days. I don't really feel that close to anyone right now." 

"You feel like a stranger in a strange land." 

"Exactly, Give me some time and some more of Lana's excellent taste in sweets and gooey consumables and I should be right as ran." 

"Whatever's going on I'm sure Adrian didn't mean to make it worse." Clark felt like he was channeling his father since that comment was vintage Jonathon Kent. 

"Yeah it's not his fault I'm hiding in Hicksville USA from the wrath of my parents." Marcus glanced once more at the stranger in the mirror. "I think I'll go apologize to Adrian now. Tell Pete I will see him at home tonight." Clark nodded and watched him walk out the bathroom.

***

Adrian walked away from the Talon. "Typical," he thought. "Things were cool and I have to go and put some one on the spot like that that. He's obviously trying to keep his life private and I practically out him in front of his family and Pete's friends. Christ that was selfish." He looked around for the nonexistent cab. It was too late at night to be wondering the streets of Smallville. He started for home. it didn't take long for him to notice the echoing footsteps that betrayed that he was being followed. He glanced behind. There they were. He could make out the letterman jackets that marked them as jocks. Members of the football team. Adrian had been living in this town long enough to know what a group of ball players following you at this hour meant. Had Clark not pissed off Whitney Fordham last year, he was sure that he Adrian, and not Clark, would have been hanging in a field. He thought about turning to confront them but that wasn't a foolproof plan. 

He started sprinting down the streets and heard the howls from the lettermen as they gave chase. He had been roughed up in the halls a few times but Bashing was more a Metropolis thing then a Smallville thing. His lack of good shape was quickly betraying him. Say what you will but running after a football built your stamina. He quickly grew tired and collapsed. The four of them surrounded him. He told himself that if he survived this beating he would remember every one of their faces and make them pay big time. The largest of them moved forward to begin the bashing and that was when the screaming started. 

***

Clark found Pete and Chloe standing by the counter. "Clark where did Marcus go."

"He went after Adrian, I think he wanted to apologize."

Pete cursed "Four of the guys from the team left not too long ago. I heard they went after Adrian."

"Why?"

"Their story is they wanted to teach him a lesson but I don't trust this bunch"

"Cone on, if Marcus caught up with Adrian before the bully-boys did they might include him in the lesson giving."

Clark and Pete headed out the door. Lana promised to call the sheriff's department and let them know what's going on. The two headed down the street at a fast jog. The jog became a run as they heard a tortured cry echo though the night. Clark zipped ahead of Pete. Following the sounds, he came upon a harrowing scene. 

A black figure stood surrounded by the bodies of students in lettermen jackets. Obviously the jocks but there was no sign of Adrian. Some were obviously just unconscious others were lying cast aside as though like a rag dolls. Clark watched as the man …if that's what it was, dangled one jock off the ground. Tendrils of blackness reached out of some deep black maw to caress and snatch at the feet of the boy. His terror was very real and pliable. "Put him down." Clark cried out and rushed the figure that only looked up at the last second to see Clark's huge form barreling toward him. Kent tackled the figure to the ground causing the jock to fall to sprawling to the pavement. 

"Leave him alone." Clark grabbed at the struggling form beneath him. Then the man stilled his thrashing and sank into the shadow covered street. "What the hell?" there was no sign of him. Then Clark looked behind him and there in shadows of a closed door was his foe staring out at him. 

"It's not what you think." The figure hissed

"Then what is it."

"Its about justice." 

"Beating on kids is not justice, it's being a cold blooded thug."

"At least the one they were going to attack is still alive and unhurt. Think they would have been that charitable."

"That's for the law to decide." Clark moved to grab at him again. His fingers felt like they were sliding through smoke. 

Here let me make it easier for you." The Dark Man held out his hand. Clark reached out and grasped the solid arm. The then man grabbed Clarks arm and hurled him to the side. He crashed into first one wall then the other. Briefly, dazed Clark released the hand he was holding onto. The Dark Man seemed to reach forward as though channeling force into his hands. Clark felt his body tossed backward across the street to land in a heap next to a lamppost. Pete ran up to them and helped Clark to his feet. 

The Dark Man looked at the two men facing him, both obviously prepared for a rematch. "Another time perhaps." He stepped back into the dark alcove and the shadows seemed to absorb him. 

"Alright tell me that was not the most bizarre thing you've ever seen." Pete moved cautiously toward the alcove waving his arms as though trying feeling for the shadow man. 

"Four guys leave The Talon looking for Adrian. We find all of them beaten on the street and Adrian nowhere around." Clark said thoughtfully gazing at the alcove. 

"But there is some shadow guy who obviously was the one who laid the smackdown on the jerks." Pete gestured to the bodies lying in the street. "Well I think we can stop worrying about if there is a new mutant on the loose." 

"And start worrying about what we do when next time come along." Clark muttered worriedly 

"Next time?" 

"Yeah as in the next time we meet, I have to figure out a way to catch and hold a shadow." 

***


End file.
